Apparently there is some kind of competition and you can win diamonds even if you write some crap....So I present my crap (Shadow Fight 4: Arena Story Narrating Contest)
(IIX-I think it's the newest one)
Chapter IX: Echo of Fate – The Road to the Castle
Fog cloaked the valley. Withered trees, twisted like agony, stood silent. The road led through broken paths, worn by those who had walked before him — and never returned. With every step, the hero felt the world growing less real, as though time itself was collapsing under the weight of something greater.
This was no longer the world of flesh. It was a world of souls, memories, and fears.
The ground beneath his feet was cracked, as if soaked in the echoes of an ancient war. In the distance, the ruins of a castle loomed, with birds circling overhead whose wings cast no shadow. The silence was heavy — not peaceful, but watchful.
Suddenly — without sound, without warning — the fog thickened and began to take shape. A shadow formed into a humanoid figure. A tall silhouette, cloaked in black robes woven from smoke and flashes of light. Its face was hidden, but its voice — a voice echoing from many places at once — pierced the space.
Marcus's Servant:
"You don’t yet know where you are. You don’t know what each step brings. But your soul already trembles. Not because you fear Marcus... but because you fear the truth about yourself."
The hero raised his head. His gaze was unwavering, but a flicker of exhaustion burned in his eyes. He said nothing — he didn’t have to.
Servant:
"I've seen your choices. Every hesitation, every failure. You think you're immune to the Shadow, but you're already breathing it. The future isn’t a single path. There are hundreds. And in nearly every one... you fall."
The figure stepped closer. Each footfall cracked the earth beneath it, as if reality itself couldn’t withstand its presence.
Servant:
"But Marcus... he offers more than choice. He offers freedom — from illusion. From pain. From the endless question: Does any of this mean anything?"
For a moment, there was silence. The shadow stopped right in front of the hero.
Servant:
"Accept his gift, and your body will become a weapon. Your soul — the light of Shadow. You’ll get the answers you’ve sought since the beginning. But you must give up the last thing that ties you to this world: hope."
Images began to appear around them — twisted visions. Loved ones lost. Battles that ended only in blood. Eyes of those he couldn’t save.
Servant:
"This is the place where the story breaks. You will die — or be reborn. Marcus already sees you. He already knows your heart."
The shadowed figure began to fade, dissolving like mist in the wind.
Servant (final words, in a whisper):
"You will choose. But remember… some choices cannot be undone."
The hero stood alone, and the distant castle seemed to grow larger with every breath. As if it was swallowing more of the sky with each moment.
He knew the next step might be his last — not in body, but in spirit.
Chapter VII: Mirror of Shadow – Battle with the Reflection
The hero crossed the gate of Marcus's Ruined Castle. The air was heavy, thick with the whispers of those who had perished here. The walls trembled with the presence of the Shadow, and the echo of his footsteps seemed to follow him like a warning.
Inside, darkness reigned — not the kind that fire could banish, but one that burrowed into the mind. And then... something appeared.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
It looked like him. But something was wrong.
Ashen skin, eyes glowing like embers, armor adorned with a cracked symbol he once wore — now twisted by the Shadow. The weapon it held resembled his own… but deformed, as if forged from dreams of revenge.
Dark Reflection (calmly, almost with pity):
"So you’ve finally arrived. How long can you run from yourself, right?"
Hero:
"That’s not me."
Reflection (approaching):
"Not yet. But you’re close. You feel it, don’t you? With every battle, every loss... you start to understand me."
The copy raised a hand, gathering dark energy around it.
Reflection:
"You don’t need to die to become something greater. Just one word… and Marcus will make you whole. I’m proof that survival — power — is possible. That pain can be mastered."
Hero (clenching his fists):
"I’m not here to survive. I’m here to end this nightmare."
Reflection (a hollow, chilling laugh):
"You don’t get to choose when the nightmare ends. I am your ending."
The Battle Begins: Hero vs. Dark Reflection (Miniboss)
Combat Mechanics (Design Inspiration):
The copy uses familiar moves — but corrupted by Shadow.
It can teleport between shadows cast by pillars and strike instantly.
The longer the fight, the more visions plague the hero — past failures, lost friends.
Final Choice:
As the hero brings his copy to the ground, it does not vanish. It speaks.
Reflection (bleeding Shadow):
"Kill me... and you’ll lose your last hope. Spare me… and Marcus will destroy you."
Decision Point:
Finish the Reflection – Gain immense power but lose part of his humanity.
Spare the Reflection – Risk everything, but preserve his soul. Opens a path to a resistance-based ending.
After Defeat (Hero loses the fight):
After a brutal onslaught, the hero collapses. The cold grip of the Shadow seeps into his skin, his mind, his soul. His struggle feels pointless — every fiber of his being calls for surrender.
Reflection (triumphantly):
"It’s too late. The Shadow has already claimed you. Soon, we’ll be one. Just as I was Marcus’s shadow."
Hero (weakly rising):
"No... I... won’t..."
Reflection (reaching out, energy pulsing):
"Of course you resist. But the Shadow leaves no choices. Your body, your soul… they will all serve its will. There is no escape."
Final Transformation:
As the Shadow begins to consume him, his body changes — darker skin, glowing red eyes, his form now resembling the very reflection he fought. Though still conscious, he can feel his control slipping away.
Hero (struggling):
"No... this can’t be..."
Marcus steps from the shadows, calm and commanding.
Marcus:
"Indeed. Your destiny is already written. Look at you — how perfectly you fit into my design. You are Shadow now, as I am. But in this power, there’s no room for your memories… only what I allow."
Hero (with hatred):
"And now what? Let me forget who I was? The Shadow will never be my home."
Marcus (coldly):
"The Shadow is what we make it. Your choice is an illusion. Now — you belong to me."
Game Over: The Hero becomes part of the Shadow
Chapter IX: Clash with Marcus – Final Decision (Round 12)
Having overcome his dark reflection, the hero is exhausted, body and mind on the edge. The Shadow is still inside him, lurking. Then, the final presence makes itself known.
Marcus.
Ethereal, shifting like a thought given form. His crown gleams with dark energy, his eyes glowing with the full force of the Shadow.
Marcus (calmly):
"I always knew you’d come. Not that you had much of a choice. Shadow leaves little room for decision… You’ve felt it. As I once did. To be part of something greater."
Hero (with resolve):
"I came — but not to kneel. Your darkness, your crown… it’s all a lie. I’m not you. I never will be."
Marcus steps forward, shadow curling around him.
Marcus (with superiority):
"You don’t understand. You're like I was — weak, filled with doubt. The Shadow shows the truth, the strength you can’t find alone. I can give that to you. Accept it… now."
He extends his hand. The energy is overwhelming, piercing, deep. But the hero refuses to yield.
Hero:
"I’ll never understand your gift. It’s a prison, not power. I’d rather die than become what you are."
Marcus (with quiet menace):
"Choice is a lie. The Shadow decides when the light dies. No escape. No mercy. Once you accept it — you belong to it."
The hero, surrounded by the Shadow, nearly breaks. But a flicker of hope — that smallest ember — still burns inside.
Hero (with rising defiance):
"I won’t be consumed. The Shadow isn’t my choice. My choice… is to fight. Always."
Marcus pauses, then smirks — not with mockery, but almost with admiration.
Marcus:
"So be it. You are my final challenge. My last decision."
Endgame: What Awaits the Hero?
At this point, the story branches. The hero must decide whether to embrace Marcus’
s dark power — or resist until the very end, no matter the cost. This is no longer a battle of strength, but of spirit.
And now, the real battle begins — not just for life... but for the soul.
